Where Have All the Muses Gone?
by Gryffin Parker
Summary: Hardly any of the leading fanfiction authors have updated in nearly a month. What is going on? Here is my take on what may be happening to their muses right now. SLASH, swearing, randomness
1. Prologue

A/N: - for the past month on fanfiction.net, hardly anyone has updated. So I asked myself, what could be the reason for this sudden disappearance of fanfictions by the Slashy Ladies? Well, I answered myself, it must be that their muses have taken a break. But where did they go? (it would be a good idea to read the stories listed in the disclaimer below before you continue.)  
  
Disclaimer: Newsies belong to Disney. NMR Artemis's Story, Dungeons and Dragons, and Burn that Bridge When we Come to It belong to Artemis-Chan of Redwing. Concerto belongs to Funkiechick. Everything You've Done Wrong belongs to Funkiechick and B, written under the name of slonne. While the Thunder Rolls, It Don't Mean a Thing, and Angel of Sin, Demon of Virtue are property of Thumbsucker Snitch, aka Lute. A Voice and the Future of a Racetrack belongs to Legs. But I'm A Prep belongs to SitaChan, as does the Pantless!Blink muse. Just A Bunch of Angry Kids With No Sequel belongs to Gracie Jane. You Were a Newsie belongs to Dakota-Jones. Fiction Squared belongs to Pesky the Gremlin Godess. What Strange Ideas Bring People Together and Newsies and Capture the Bear belong to Rhymes Bale/Conlon. Some of the muses belong to Obsessed wit' Aaron Lohr and Nakida Adia Sun. Any other stories mentioned throughout this story are property of their authors, who will be mentioned along with them.  
  
Where have all the muses gone?  
  
Prologue  
  
"Gah!" Gryffin screamed at her computer, once again. This was the fifth day in a row that none of the stories she was reading had been updated. Frustrated, she called Artemis.  
  
Ring Ring  
  
"Hello?" Artemis answered.  
  
"Arty?" Gryffin questioned, not wanting to accidentally get one of the other triplets.  
  
"Yeah, hey hon. What's new?"  
  
"Absolutely nothing. None of the stories on fanfiction.net have been updated in like, forever. NMR Artemis's story hasn't been updated, Burn that Bridge when we come to it hasn't been updated, JABOAKWNS, A Voice, You Were A Newsie, Angel of Sin, Kristan's Jack story, Capture the Bear, Concerto, Everything You've Done Wrong, It Don't Mean a Thing... none of it! None of them have been updated in like, forever! I swear, it has been a month now since Lute updated Angel of Sin. What are all these fanfiction authors doing with their time?" Gryffin's eyes widen and her voice suddenly changes. "Artemis," she nearly whispers into the phone. "You don't think they got real lives do you?"  
  
"No, child. None of us will ever get real lives." Gryffin could hear the smile in her friend's voice. "I can't answer for any of the others, but the reason I haven't updated my stories is because my muses seem to have run off. I can't find them anywhere, and I can't write any decent fanfiction without them. I mean, look at that last piece I put up." Gryffin browses through the files on her computer and notices the Dungeons and Dragons piece that Artemis recently posted. "That was completely and totally plotless. It was funny, but pointless."  
  
"But... but... Artemis! What will you do without your muses?" *checks to be sure her muses are still wandering around her apartment in their boxers... yep. Still there*  
"I don't know. I guess I'll just have to wait until they come back."  
  
"That could be forever."  
  
"Then I guess I'll be waiting for a while. Thanks for giving me a call, Gryff-child."  
  
"Yeah, anytime Arty. See ya later."  
  
"Buh-bye."  
  
*click*  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Meanwhile, in what we would assume to be the Newsboys' Lodging House, NYC.  
  
"Dude," Snitch said, leaning back. "You know we deserve this, dude." He cuddled closer to Skittery.  
  
"Hey! Get off me!" Skittery yelled. "You've been hanging around Lute too much. Get a grip on yourself."  
  
"I feel pretty, oh so pretty!" Itey's voice rang out over the argument. He had been singing random, odd songs all day and nobody could make him shut up. Snitch made a face at Skittery.  
  
"I have, have I? Well, you've been spending too much time around Artemis and Gryffin. They're the ONLY TWO authors who write you straight, you know."  
  
"Unless you count all of those Mary Sue stories!" Snipeshooter added from across the room.  
  
"Have you noticed that you're straight in those stories too?" Skittery asked the boy who would not keep his hands to himself.  
  
"Not really. I question my sexuality dude," Snitch said proudly, wedging his hand along Skittery's waist band.  
  
"Pipe down," Jake said, slapping Snipeshooter in the head. "I'm trying to sleep. This IS a vacation after all."  
  
Snipeshooter stood up, looking as if he were going to try to punch the half-sleeping Jake in his face. Snitch and Skittery were bickering like an old married couple, and Skittery was failing miserably at keeping Snitch's hands out of his own pants. Blink threw his cards down on the table.  
  
"Okay, it's sad when I have to come in and be the voice of reason. Everyone listen up and shut your mouths," Kid Blink said. "First, Jake. You hardly ever do anything. You have totally adopted the only decent character you have ever had, and that is in Angel of Sin, Demon of Virtue as the Sin Sloth. Besides, how many authors do you know who have a Jake!Muse? You hardly ever do anything anyways, so quit complaining because some of us have this burning desire to have some fun in our lives rather than sleep everything away. Second, Artemis may write straight Snitch and Skittery characters, but Gryffin only does it for the sake of Sky and Artemis, who have decided that they like the two of you as boys for some God awful reason. Gryffin herself is actually a Snitch/Skitts fan, but she keeps it bottled for her friends. Face it, Skittery, you don't really have much of a choice unless you want to go live in Mary Sue land. Third, we are on VACATION. Can't everyone just calm down and stop jumping at each other's throats? This is our TIME OFF!"  
  
Kid Blink threw himself back into his chair beside Mush and promptly started loosing a card game to Racetrack. Jake and Skittery both scowled matching sneers in Kid's general direction. Snitch smiled and resumed his pose on Skittery's chest, looking quite like a contented kitten. His hand still continued to creep toward the taller boy's belt clasp. Life continued, for a few moments, in silence.  
  
"You know, dis ain't much of a vacation," Jack said, catching the ball he had been tossing absent mindedly into the air.  
  
"Well what are we going to do?" Dave asked, pursing his lips. Bumlets stared at Dave's mouth a moment longer than he really should have. "Go take a joy ride in one of the imaginary cars that the fanfiction authors have drawn up for us and ride around the country?"  
  
"Dat's exactly it!" Jack exclaimed, sitting bolt upright on the bed he was lounging on.  
  
"Road trip!" Les shouted and poked his wooden sword into the innocent air above his head. Dave leaned closer to Jack and lowered his voice.  
  
"I was only joking. We can't go on a road trip. We don't have any money and the fanfiction authors need us. Not to mention, those cars are imaginary."  
  
"But if we go on a road trip anyways, den we'll make the money on da way," Jack said blinking. "And what does it matter if da cars are imaginary? We're imaginary too. And, for money, all of us is rich in some story or another, sos we can all jus' go bum some cash from our rich relatives. Besides, da fan goirls will wait. Dey always do. Dey can' live widout us. Crutchy, you start takin' up a collection."  
  
"Swell!" Crutchy yelled, holding out his hat to Racetrack, who was most often written as a rich Italian mobster.  
  
"Everyone else, get backed. We'se goin'... we'se goin'... wheah we goin'?" Jack finished pathetically.  
  
"Disneyland!" Mush yelled with childlike enthusiasm. Blink slapped him in the chest as soon as the word was out of his mouth. Mush mumbled something about always having this strange urge to go to Anaheim.  
  
"Yeah, we'se goin' ta Disneyland. Let's get ready."  
  
End Prologue  
  
A/N: So where should our boys stop on their trip across the country? Let me know and I'll see if I can write it in. Maybe they'll meet some random fanfiction authors along the way, and they will each get their muses back as we roll along. Maybe... maybe Mush will be the only one to make it to Anaheim. hehe So where should the other 19 boys 'get lost'? Leave a review and you'll find out! ^_^ 


	2. Chapter 1

A/N:  *blink*  *blinkblink*  Wow!  I am so incredibly excited right now, that I don't know what to do with myself.  Maybe, I'll write more fanfiction.  ^_^  I have never had such a great response from the general Newsies community from a story before.  I'm glad you all like this, so here is some more!  I'm really, really honored that you guys are reading my story, especially the Slashy Ladies.  I love you guys!  Oh, and as a short-quazi-apology... I know that other people have written straight-Skits and straight-Snitch... but it was more for the emphasis of Blink saying that there were only two people in the world that did it rather than the facts behind it.  Please don't kill me!  It was just an expression.

Disclaimer:  I still do not own Newsies or any of the stories mentioned last chapter.  I do not own Outkasts (how did I manage to forget that in my first disclaimer?) it belongs to Thumbsucker Snitch.  That is finished, so I'm not ranting about it not being updated, but I really really like some of the characters such as Flaming-Crossdresser!Spot.  ^_^ Obsessed wit' Aaron Lohr is mentioned as Chip in the future, because that name is just too long.  ^_^  I do not own the Very Secret Diaries of the Lord of the Rings. (yes, you should be scared) Major Blink is owned once again by Funkiechick

WARNING:  heh... this is a bit late... this story contains slash, light swearing and randomness.  Hell, it's the world according to Gryffin- do you expect it to make sense?

Thank God for math classes!  Without which, I would not have had time to write this story!

**Shoutouts!**

Lute:  wow... I never... ever... ever expected you to read, let alone review my story.  *blush*    Thank you so much!  And thanks for putting me as a link on your journal.  ^_^  I miss band.  Ever since I got into college, I decided I didn't want to be a band dork anymore...             then found that I could barely watch our band and not be on the field with them.  We             never competed in high school, because our director didn't believe in it, but we had the best reputation in our area.  We always got standing O's from the crowds.  *sniff*  At least I have Newsies-in-band stories to comfort me!  luffle you!

Studentnumber24601:  Wow!  B!  I love your stories!  *huggles B's stories*  I will be very       happy if you update EYDW, but this will keep me entertained until then.  Maybe if you tell me what general city you live in, then the Newsie-muses may find their way back to you themselves.  ^_^  Ciao!

ShakesEE:  I'm sure you'll find your life again soon.  But until then, make sure you keep working on Beef Barn... because I am in the process of reading it and I would hate for it to magically stop with no real ending.  I shall leave you a wonderful review whenever I catch up to you.  ^_^  

PButtercup:  Yeah, I get the feeling that if they ever get to Sante Fe, Jack will never leave.  I got lots of rabid plot bunnies for that though.  ^_^  *ponders*  hey, does anyone know where Sante Fe is?  Like what state it is in?  hmmmmmm... It's sad that I'm in college and I've        never had a geography class isn't it?  Thanks for reading!  Much luv!

Thistle:  Yeah, I like Denial!Skitts too.  ^_^  he is cute, though he wouldn't admit to it.  Maybe this will spark some updates sometime soon.  Until then, here's another chapter!

Highland:  Well, the Muses are going to Disneyland... but there is an awful lot of land between    there and New York, and they may just cause some 'inspiration' along the way. ^_^  Enjoy!

Jen:  Glad you like the story.  Keep reading!

Braids:  Don't worry, I'm not letting my muses get away from me.  *evil grin*  

            Race: HELP US!

            Skitts:  Please?

            Hey, how'dja get that gag off?  Hmmmm... maybe you need some tighter knots.  I knew I should have joined Boy Scouts.  They don't teach you this kind of thing in Girl Scouts.  ^_^  I don't know why everyone hasn't been updating... maybe it is just bad timing for all of them, but I needed something to amuse me.  Luv yas!

Nakaia:  Maybe it sounds like your sister's Itey muse because it is your sister's Itey muse.  *ponders* ^_~  You are the second person who told me their Muses are obsessed with Monty Python.  That'll have to come up in here somewhere.  This summer, during one of our all camps, me, Artemis and a girl named Eeyore danced to Knights of the Round table for our campers.  It was fun.  Well... then again... we also had a group of our          campers do Carrying the Banner where Arty and I were the Delancey's and they did King     of New York, and we sang and danced on tables in the Trail's End unit shelter singing Newsies so loud that the campers and staff from Orchard came across the creek and       partied with us.  ^_^  Enough of that, and on with the story!  Thanks so much!

Dakota:  Thanks hon!  ^_^  yay for updates!  The Backyard Brawl is this weekend, so there will be mondo partying and fires in the streets of Morgantown.  I am so excited that I finally have nothing that I NEED to do... all weekend long.   Laziness is a wonderful thing.    ^___^  

Valentine:  I'll see what goes on... maybe the Newsie!Muses will pay you a visit.  Thanks for reading!

Gothic:  Thanks!!!  Hey, did you know that using multiple exclamation points and question marks is a sign of insanity?  Yeah.  ^_^  Guess it's official then!!  Glad you like the story!    Thanks for the review!

Maddie:  You know... your name is entirely too long.  ^_^  j/p.  Nah, my muses aren't running   away.  I have them all bound and gagged and sitting on my bed ready for use whenever I please.  XD  I'm glad you find me funny, sweetheart, but frankly I'm scared of whatever ideas this story may have sparked in your confused little head.  I'm sure I'll find out soon enough.  Luv ya Mushly!

Legs:  Of course I mentioned you!  You have one of very few stories featuring a female counterpart for a Newsie who is not a Mary Sue.  I wonder if Tanya will ever get to see the Lion King... by the way.  ^_^  Yeah, my mind works in random spurts.  If I don't make sense then... then... well then I guess I'm working normally.  ^_^  Luv your story!  Thanks for the review!  I think some of the Muses are going to start acting like some of your muses soon... they are entertaining.  Luv ya!

Falcon:  *hugs falcon back*  Wow!  lol... am I really that inspiring?  Spot!Muses are fun, because they are so interchangeable.  They can be the tough, rough, heartless leader of Brooklyn or they can be a complete and total pansy and either way it is quite believable.  ^_^  I love Spot!Muses... I'll have to get one of my own some day.  Thanks!

Cassie:  Yeah, I want to go to Disneyland too... I've never been there, so my version of Disneyland is going to be much like Disneyworld.  I just didn't want them to go to Florida, because that only takes a day or so and you can't get very lost.  Plus, I like the idea of Mush going to Anaheim.  *cough* Mighty Ducks *coughcough*  ^_~  Too bad that the Newsies are imaginary too, or else that would be the vacation of a lifetime.  You know child, you really need to learn how to type.  I still love you though!

Chip:  ooh... Newsies on the beach... *thinks of random Snitch/Skits sunset scenes* mmmmmm  Yes, I got a kick out of your Itey!Muse.  ^_^  He makes me giggle.  

Artemis:  Yes, Artemis, your D&D Newsies spoof was hilarious.  That CD is amusing in itself,   but when you put the boys into it... wow.  ^_^  I daresay that if me or any of my friends had their way several of them would be lost in Pittsburgh.  *yum*  Thank you so much for listening to me and telling me about the link.  I love you Artemi! (yes, there should be multiple Artemis clones running around)  You know... Boots never did get to borrow your bikini... ... ... XD

Sita:  I love your Pantless!Blink Muse.  He's so incredibly awesome.  ^_^  Blink is another interchangeable character, like Spot.  He can be tough and surley and mysterious or he can be the pretty-boy center of attention.  I luffle Blink!  Thanks you so much for the review!  Here, have a boxer-shaped brownies.  PS: Does Blink have special light up boxers for Christmas? XD  Luv ya!

Taps:  Thank you honey!  Singing Itey Muse is courtesy of Chip, aka Obsessed wit' Aaron Lohr.  I hope you don't forget about my story!  I wish you would put more of what you write up on ff.net so I can read it too.  See you over Thanksgiving!

**_Where have all the muses gone?_**

****

**_Chapter 1: I call Shotgun!_**

            _An hour or so later..._

            "So what does everyone got?" Jack asked, looking around at the assemblage of cars and people that filled Newsies Square.  He stood in Horace Greeley's lap to be heard properly.  The boys all started clamoring at once, each trying to drown out the next to be heard by Jack.  

            Camo-gear! Dutchy and Specs from But I'm a Prep climbed onto the base of the statue and attempted to silence the other boys by looking tough and intimidating.  They failed miserably, but eventually everyone noticed the cowboy waving his arms around like an idiot and after a good long laugh at Jack's random flailing limbs, they quieted down.

            "Thank you."

            "Any time, Jacky-boy," Flaming!Spot from Outkasts said, looking up from his bright red nail polish.  Jack shot the Brooklyn leader a dirty look.  Spot blew him a kiss with lips stained cherry red.  Jack ignored him.

            "We'll go 'round dis way," Jack said, drawing an imaginary circle through the boys.  "Blink, you start."

            "I got around $2,000 from working at Redwing and my rich family in (story).  I brought two cars too... my little yellow beetle from But I'm a Prep and Gryffin's 2003 yellow Cavalier from Newsies Meet Redwing."

            "You drive yellow cars and you say you're not gay..." Race muttered.

            "I changed my mind about that, didn't you hear?  I'm a bisexual man-whore," Kid Blink said, looking quite pleased with himself.  He leaned over and kissed Race on the cheek.  He wiped it off, but Blink saw him smile.  Everyone loved Blink's kisses.  Jack loved Blink's kisses himself.  Actually, Jack could really use one of Blink's kisses right now...

            Jack shook his head and rolled his eyes at Blink's public display of affection.

            "We'se not heah ta argue pirate-boy's sexuality!" Jack yelled, trying to regain the group's attention, while putting his own attention on something other than Blink's crotch.

            "Who?  Me?" Les asked, looking up from the wooden sword that he was coating in sticky, silvery stuff.

            "No, the kid with the eye patch!" Jack said, exasperated at the attention span of his Newsies.

            "Who?  Me?" Orlando Bloom asked from behind Les's left shoulder.

            "No!" Jack yelled.  His voice cracked.  "Who the hell are you?  Wait, I don't want to know.   I really don't care.  You don' even have an eye patch.  Get the hell out of my movie!"

            Orlando Bloom pouted, causing all the Mary Sue's and some of the Slashy Ladies who were watching to sigh.  He walked out of the square muttering, "I'm still the prettiest," under his breath.

            "Jack!  He was my friend!" Les cried.

            "Jack!  He was cute!" Spot whined.

            "All of you shut up now or I'm turnin' dis car aroun' an' we'se goin' home."

            *silence*

            **chirp**

            *more silence*

            "Uh, Jack?" Mush said, his forehead wrinkled in concentration.  "We ain't in a car."

            *laughter*

            Jack pounded his head on the statue.  Repeatedly.

            "Dude, you are so dense," Snitch said from his position on Skittery's hood.  Skittery sighed.  At least Snitch wasn't being as bad as Swifty.  Swifty was posed like a bathing suit model on Race's hood.  What was worse yet was Jake and Bumlets who were circling him with fake cameras taking fake pictures.  

            "Shut up, Snitch," Skittery said, sitting down.

            "Make me."  

            Skittery shot Snitch a dirty look.  Snitch smirked.  Skittery couldn't decide whether to slap Snitch across the face or to kiss him.  He settled for punching the boy in his arm and letting Snitch put his head on his shoulder.

            "Hey Mush!" Blink called, sliding off the hood of one of his cars where he had been playing with the belt of Race's pants.  "Maybe if you're good, Jack'll let you take a trip to the moon."

            Mush smiled broadly like a child on Christmas, but then his face fell.

            "I don't want to go to the moon.  I want to go to Disneyland."

            "You can go to the moon on the WAY to Disneyland," Jack said, caressing the growing lump on his forehead.  Now his head was pounding where he had hit it and where it always pounded when he was frustrated.

            "Really?" Mush asked.

            "Of course.  Go get your box."  

            Mush ran off toward his car of choice.  It was a Mustang.

            "Duct tape, it fixes everything," Blink said, smiling toothily.  A roll of the stuff magically appeared in his hand just as Mush pulled his duct taped box from the trunk.  The few Newsies around Blink gave him strange looks.  After a moment, Blink began giving himself strange looks and wondered why the hell he had just said that.

            'He really should sell toothpaste,' Race thought, making sure that his face was impassive.  

            "Anyways!  Back ta da cars!" Jack yelled, seizing the opportunity when the boys were quiet.  "Racetrack!  What did you bring?"

            Race, startled, looked away from the confused!Blink (who is adorable, by the way) and stared blankly for a moment at Cowboy before he seemed to comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.

            "I got my car from Everything You've Done Wrong, and I got about $5,000 from my various rich Italian families."

            "Dat's great!" Jack said.  "You'se probably got da most rich families.  Well, all of us gots some rich families out dere, but Race's are da best since dey's in da Mafia."

            "SHHHHHHHHHHH!" Race yelled, looking frantically around the square.  He whispered menacingly, a finger pointed at Jack.  "Don't you ever say that again!  That ain't true."

            The square fell into silence.  Itey watched Race tug at his suspenders and adjust his vest.  That Italian temper was just so hot, especially since the guy wearing it was so small...  

            "Good.  We'll skip Mush foah now... who else's got a cah?"

            "I do," Skittery said, jingling his keys.  His little black Honda, complete with key marks from Outkasts, sat behind him.  Snitch was already inside fiddling with the radio.

            "Tell me if you want me, Cause you think I'm sexy, come on baby let me know!" Itey started singing, complete with dance moves this time, aimed directly at Race.  Race purposefully failed to look in the other boy's direction.  Jack spoke over the annoying falsetto voice.

            "Fine den.  Dat's enough cars, an' we got nearly $10,000 total ta get 20 boys from NYC ta Cali an' back.  God help us all... le's go."

            "Awww!" Mush complained.  "I just got my box though!  I wanted to go to the moon!"

            "Drive for a bit first," Dave said, placing a hand comfortingly on the confused boy's shoulder and fighting to keep control of himself as he touched that incredible chest.  "You can go to the moon when we stop for the night."

            "Really?"  Mush's face lit up.

            "Yeah, really.  Get in."

            *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            _ring__ ring_

            "Yhello?"

            "Hey Rhymes.  This is Gryffin."

            "Oh hey, Gryff.  How's it goin?"

            "Listen, why haven't you been updating recently?"

            "I give up, Gryff.  Why?"

            "Pfeh.  Nobody has updated.  I don't know what to do with all my free time now."

            "I don't know.  My Race!Muse died though.  I don't know where he is.  I've started getting into Swing Kids stuff."

            "What!  You're going to leave your Newsies stories like they are?"

            "I dunno.  Maybe."

            "Rhymes, you can't do that!  You have to finish them."

            "I'm not sure if I want to anymore.  Sure the guys look hot and things but... I don't know the plot just isn't going anywhere."       

            "Traitor."

            "Scab."

            "I'm not the one writing fanfictions for another story and abandoning Newsies!"

            "I'm not abandoning Newsies!  If you want to complain about a lack of updates, write your own story!"

            "Fine I will!"

            "Fine!"

            "Fine!"

            *click*

            Gryffin threw the phone down on her bed next to her body pillow.  She sighed.  Write a fanfiction worth reading?  Her?  Yeah right.

            She looked over to the post-it notes that covered her desk.  Maybe she should try it... maybe sometime when she could actually see her desk through her lists of things to do.  She sighed and sat down, trying to work on developing a game for her Communications class, mind on something completely different.

            *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            After much more squabbling about who was going to sit where, they finally got the boys successfully split up into the four different cars and were on their way.  Mush drove with Dave, Bumlets, Swifty and Boots.  Spot, Jake, Snipeshooter, and Snoddy filled Race's convertible.  Les, Itey and Pie Eater all crammed into the back of Skittery's Honda, as Snitch had already claimed the front seat.  The rest- Specs, Dutchy, Crutchy and Jack- went in Blink's car.  

            The cars pulled out, the yellow Cavalier in the lead.

            "I really wanted to go to the moon," Mush pouted.

            "Don't worry.  I promise, Mush, I'll take you anywhere you want to go tonight," Dave said, turning the map upside down.

            "Really?"

            "Yes.  Anywhere."

            Bumlets scoffed from the back seat.  He looked around warily for a moment, as if expecting something to jump out and attack him, but he settled down after a moment.  Boots pulled out a Gameboy and started to play a very loud and annoying game.  This would be a long drive.

            Meanwhile, in Kid Blink's car, the one eyed, pant-less driver bit his lip as he turned the wheel.

            "Can't you put on some pants, Blink?" Crutchy asked from the backseat.  He was such a back seat driver... Kid, open your eye, Kid, don't hit that squirrel, Kid, put on your pants... didn't he know that every time Kid Blink had driven a car with pants on he had wrecked it?

            "No, Crutchy, not if you want to get to California in one piece."

            The small boy made a face but kept his silence.

            "Um.... Jack?" Blink asked tentatively.  He didn't want Jack to start smacking his head off of something again.  He had taken to beating himself with various objects when spoken to since Mush went to get his spaceship.  Jack did not begin throwing himself at the window again though, so Blink took it as a good sign.  "Which way are we going?"

            "Sante Fe... I mean... er... Disneyland is South and West of heah.  Pick a direction dat don' lead inta da ocean or inta some frozen wasteland wheah dey don' talk English an' go."

            "Okay," Blink said, smiling cheerily.  He took a drink of the Pepsi that was constantly stuffed in every extra crack or crevice in this car.  He turned out of Newsies Square, glad to go a different direction after circling Horace Greeley for the past half hour.  "What's South of here anyways?"

            "Brooklyn," Dutchy squeaked between his giggles.  Neither Jack or Blink really wanted to know why he was giggling.

            "I mean further than that," Blink said, carefully repositioning his rear view mirror.

            Dutchy shrugged.  Specs completely ignored the fact that anyone else existed.  Dutchy went back to their game.  Appearently, it involved seeing how far one could stick their tounge down the other's throat and tickling each other at the same time.  Crutchy tried to back himself into the corner farthest from the boys who kept randomly loosing pieces of their camo-clothing.  

            "New Jersey is south of here," the gimpy boy whispered.

            "Watch out, New Jersey, because here we come!"

**_End One_**

A/N: Wow... the shoutouts are nearly as long as the chapter.  Yeah, the ending isn't great, but I had to give this a bit of plot if you guys want me to continue it. Honestly, I didn't think anyone would read it and that it would stop at a chapter but... obviously you have all changed my mind.  ^_^  I heart you!  Please feel free to leave a review on your way out.  (read: Gryffin is a review-whore, and reviews make her very very happy)  Next chapter: Riding in cars with boys and a visit to Shot.  ^_^  Have fun!


	3. Chapter 2

Dislcaimer:  I don't own Anything But That… it is owned by Mondie.  I hardly own anything in here, so if you don't know where it came from, you can ask.

A/N:  I'm incredibly pissed right now, because my computer is being stupid, and I can't turn it on, and I can't get to the shoutouts I already wrote for all of you guys, so I'm sorry but for me to get this up tonight, I don't have time to do other ones.  I'll make sure I add them in when I add next chapter.  I luffle you all!!!!!  

I HAVE A NEW AWARD!  My new award… longest story without update, goes to Mondie, because she hasn't updated since the beginning of the school year.  Yay!… or Boo… for the award.  ^_^  Luffle you Mondie!

**_Where Have All the Muses Gone?_**

****

Chapter 2:  Inspiration 

            "Weah are we?" Jack asked, stepping out of his car.

            "Looks like we're on a college campus," Dave answered, looking around.

            "Ooooh, that girl's cute!" Blink said, oogling a half-naked sorority girl.  Race looked as if he'd been kicked in the face.  When Spot noticed the boy's expression, he glared at Blink.

            Blink ignored these predictable behaviors from his friends and swaggered over to the girl, who was lying on the ground sunbathing.  Her blonde hair spilled over her shoulders.

            "Hey," he said, dropping to the ground next to her with his toothpaste commercial smile on his face.  "How's it goin'?"

            The girl didn't answer him.  In fact, she didn't even acknowledge that he was there.

            "Maybe if you put some pants on she'd talk to you!" Boots yelled at the clothing impaired Newsie.

            "AH, wadda you know?" Blink yelled back at him.  "Why don't you go find your water wings incase you accidentally walk off a cliff.

            Boots made a move toward Blink, but Pie Eater grabbed the boy's suspenders.  Jack winked at his Newsies and swept over to Kid Blink and the Nameless-Sorority-Girl.  His charisma was turned up so high that Blink could smell it leaking through the air from ten feet away.

            "I'se sorry for my friend heah.  He don' know how ta treat a fine lady such as yerself."  Jack stood smiling down at the college girl.  She completely ignored him.  Jack's jaw hit the floor.  Nobody ignored him!  The girl got an odd look on her face, and she nearly dove into her bag.  A moment later, she was scribbling words in her notebook so quickly that they were hard to decipher.  Blink burst into laughter.  "How rude!"

            Jack, who was still staring incredulously at the girl, waved his hand in front of her face.  She didn't even flinch.  

            "What's she writin'?" Blink asked, looking over her shoulder.  "Dave!  Those words… what do they say?"

            Dave massaged the back of his neck, which had been bruised by Logan, and looked over the girl's shoulder.

            "Louis gently rested his hand on my skirt.  I shuddered as it traveled… OH GOD!"  Dave stopped reading and backed away, a look of shocked horror on his face.

            Blink's eye got wide.

            "Why'd ja stop!  Keep readin' Dave!"

            "No, come on guys.  Let's go."

            Reluctantly, Blink, Mush, and the others who had gathered tore themselves away from the paper.  With last looks at the sunbathing Sorority-Girl, they trudged down the street after their fellow Newsies.

            Dave, who was muttering incoherently to himself with one hand never leaving his neck, was paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to where they were going.  BIAP!Spot and ABT!Specs skipped and pranced off down the street together.  Specs' platform boots looked wonderful with his gold and green hair.  

            Dutchy noticed something that nobody else seemed to.  With every step the boys took, somebody else who had been lounging on the grounds or doing homework exchanged whatever they had in their hands for a pencil and a notebook.

            The newsboy shrugged and ducked into an alley where he promptly pulled a little bag from his dirty sweatshirt.  He set up one line of the powdery white stuff and the notebooks and pencils bothered him no more.

            *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            "Yeah, so I'm having absolutely no luck with my new Race/Blink fic."

            Race's head snapped so fast that he was sure his neck snapped.  Two girls were walking down a side street.  Unlike their classmates, they were not yet writing.

            "What was that you said?" Race demanded of the girl as he stood on the sidewalk in front of her.

            "I don't know, Shot," The other girl said.  Neither paid any attention to Racetrack as they walked past him.

            "Hey!" Race shouted, jumping up and down.  "I'se talkingto you!"

            "You know," Dave said, looking thoughtfully at the people surrounding the group of boys.  "I don't think that they can see us."

            "You know… these two aren't like the rest.  Why ain't they writing?"  Boots asked, wrestling with one of his orange floaties.

            "Let's go with them and find out," Blink suggested.

            "Yeah, yeah!" Race agreed eagerly.  He fell in step next to Blink as the followed the two girls.

            Eventually, they got to a tall building filled with 12 x 14 rooms that each housed two people of the same sex somewhere between the ages of 18 and 24.  These are more commonly known as dorm rooms, or jail cells.  Take your pick.

            "Braids, are you using the internet?"  the girl known as Shot asked her friend.

            "Nah, go for it.  I have homework to do," Braids answered, flapping down on her bed.  She looked around the room dejectedly.  "You know… we really need to rearrange these stuffed animals.  They look like they're set up to play a game of volleyball.  No… maybe poker.

            "POKER?  YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA POKER!"  Shot proceeded to throw things around the room until she found a deck of cards.  She dropped into one of the few empty spaces left on the floor by the stuffed animals.  "Let's play!"  

            "I was only joking.  I have homework to do," Braids said, rolling her eyes and starting her books as if hoping they would come to life and do the homework themselves.

            Shot got up dejectedly.  "Fine, any objections to the Newsies soundtrack though?"

            "Not at all.  Just don't put on number ten.  I really don't understand that song."

            "Okie!"  Shot said, beaming again.

Davey, who was leading the group of Newsies at the moment, stopped on the threshold.  Mush, Skittery and Snitch all walked right into him.

            "Why'd ya all stop?" Snitch asked as Mush rubbed the side of his nose where Skittery had hit him.

            "This is a girl's room.  We can't go in there unless we're invited," Dave answered.

            "Dude!  Chill out!" Snitch said, clutching Skittery's arm.  "That only counts for _straight_ boys."

            Skittery looked disgusted with Snitch, who had punctuated the word straight with an exceptionally tight hung around his midsection.  

            Clutching Mary Sue (the duct taped box), Mush smiled his big goofy grin and stepped past Davey into the room.  When he wasn't forcibly removed by some unseen enchantment, Davey followed.

            Shot sat at her computer typing while Braids attempted to take notes from her history book.  Newsboys flooded the room, completely unnoticed by the two girls.

            Bumlets immediately looked up to the ceiling when he walked through the door.  He cursed under his breath at the lack of a fan.

            After finding the TV to be of little interest (Braids kept shutting it off and swearing at the remote) Racetrack walked over behind Shot and started reading the computer screen over her shoulder.

            _Racetrack gave up his gambling addiction for Blink and they lived happily ever after, forever more in slashy goodness.  The End._

            "Awe, no kid," Race said.  "That's terrible.  Completely and totally out of character."

            Shot let her head drop onto her computer desk.  

            "BRAIDS!  This story is terrible.  My Newsies are completely and totally out of character."

            "Dat's what I just said.  Do you'se want me to help you?"

            "I wish someone would help me with this.  I just can't do it by myself anymore."

            "Okay den, listen ta me.  Go back a few paragraphs… no not that part, the part before."  Shot moved her curser around on the screen, trying to decide what to change.  "Now, take dis down."

            Race started dictating. Shot found her fingers flying over the keyboard.  She had no idea where the sudden inspiration was coming from, but she was happy to take any direction she could at the moment.

            "Race ran the back of his hand down Blink's cheekbone.

            '_You knows dat I'd do anythin' ta please you'se, Blink, but you can' ask me ta give up everythin' else I love.  You mean da woirld ta me.  Don' ask me ta stop goin' ta da tracks.'_

            Blink shuddered.  One tear escaped his eye and trailed down his cheek.

            '_Racetrack, I only want what's best for you, but I don't want you to change.  Ever.'_

            Blink leaned down.  His lips were salty from the solitary tear.  Racetrack kissed him back, his hand gently snaking its way around Kid's waist until the two boys were pressed against each other.

            Maybe, life in New York wasn't so bad after all…"

            "Wow," Shot said, staring blankly at her computer screen.  "I have no idea who put that into my head, but thank you!"

            "You're welcome," Race said from right behind Shot's chair.

            Shot screamed as she jumped nearly half a foot in the air.  She shrieked loudly as her eyes met those of each Newsboy in the room.

            "Race?" shot asked, almost whining.

            "What about him?" Braids asked from her position over her books.  Snipeshooter was sitting on her bed, playing with the ends of the twin braids in the girl's hair.  

            "Da one an' only!" Race answered.

            "Braids!?!" Shot's voice actually squeaked.  Braids looked up exasperatedly.

            "Shot really… what do you want?  Because I really have to get back to studying if I'm ever going to past my history test tomorrow."

            "You… you can't see?  You can't see them?"  Shot asked staring at Braids and the Newsie sitting right next to her.

            "You mean you can see us?" Race asked Shot.

            "Of course I can see you!" Shot shouted at him.  "You're standing right there!"

            "Shot?" Braids asked slowly.  "Are you okay honey?"

            "I… I'm… I'm way better than okay.  I have twenty newsboys in my doormroom!  What could be better?!?  Why can't she see you?"  Shot asked Race, who pulled himself away from Kid Blink.  They had begun to act out the scene Shot had just typed out.

            AnswerMan!Race, who currently only exists in Gryffin's head, took a moment to ponder the question.  Braids had given up all hope that her roommate retained any shreads of sanity and was considering going for the RA.

            "I suppose it's because she hasn't been inspired.  We are muses, you know.  You're the only one who has been able to see us yet… I think it is because you have to know Newsies and be inspired by us muses to see us."

            Race got an odd look on his face for a moment and then returned to tracking his tongue around Blink's lips.  

            "Ooohohhh," shot said to the empty air again, nodding.  "Braids, you gotta write something!"

            "Hunh?"

            "Just… just… trust me.  I've lived with you for how long now?  Get out your notebook and write something.   Anything.  Just make it about Newsies."

            Braids raised an eyebrow at Shot, but the girl was right.  They had been roommates for two years now, and Shot had never done anything to make Braids loose trust in her.  She grabbed the pencil offered by the slightly-skitzo girl and pulled out a tablet.

            "What exactly am I supposed to write?" Braids asked of Shot.

            "Ask, and you shall receive," Shot said, positively beaming.

            A moment passed in silence.

            "Well?" Braids inquired.

            "Just think.  And listen.  Go with whatever comes to you."

            Braids sighed and started tapping her pencil on her notebook.

            "That's a good beat," Bumlets said, dropping himself onto the bed.

            "Maybe I need something with a good beat.  Like a songfic."

            Shot smirked.

            "It should be about a boy, who wants another boy, with the most beautiful mouth," Bumlets said wistfully.

            "Shot?  Do you know any songs about lips?" Braids asked.

            "I'm sure you'll think of one," shot replied.  She was having an incredibly hard time retaining her laughter.

            "The only think I can think of is _With My Hand on My Heart_.  Oh well, it'll do."

            _With my hand on my heart,_

_            What do I care,_

_            This is my floor mopper my momma dear,_

I love his curley hair.  The streaks of blonde and brown, so far different from my own.  I wish I could fall asleep with my fingers locked in his curls.

            _Rinky-dinky-do_

_            That's what I learned at this camp._

_            Yeah Yeah._

_            With my hand on my heart,_

_            What do I care,_

_            This is my sweat boxer my momma dear,_

Sweat?  I break out in sweat every time I see you.  My whole body reacts to even your presence in a room.  It gets harder every day to watch you.  To see you, so close, but unable to touch you.  It hurts.

            _Rinky-dinky-do_

_            That's what I learned at this camp._

_            Yeah Yeah._

_            With my hand on my heart,_

_            What do I care,_

_            This is my eye blinker  my momma dear,_

Your eyes are deep seas of blue wonder.  They have sparkling magic all their own.  I wish that they mirrored the love in my eyes for you.  But they don't.  They never will.  You're too good for that.  Too good for me.

            _Rinky-dinky-do_

_            That's what I learned at this camp._

_            Yeah Yeah._

_            With my hand on my heart,_

_            What do I care,_

_            This is my nose blower  my momma dear,_

I wish that you knew.  I wish that you knew of all the nights I stayed up in the lodging house.  Crying.  Crying for you.  God, how I wish they had invented Puffs Plus earlier.

            _Rinky-dinky-do_

_            That's what I learned at this camp._

_            Yeah Yeah._

_            With my hand on my heart,_

_            What do I care,_

_            This is my boy kisser  my momma dear,_

But the best part about you… the most beautiful part of your body is your mouth.  The nickname Walking Mouth means so much more.  If only I was the boy you kissed.  How I wish to caress your perfect mouth with my unworthy lips.  But you will never let me.  You'll never let me.

            _Rinky-dinky-do._

_            That's what I learned at this camp._

_            Yeah yeah._

            Braids looked down at what she had written.

            "That's so… moving.  I hope that the boy in the song gets his kiss.  Wit that kind of reverence and dedication, he deserves it."

            "I hope I do too," Bumlets said, looking wistfully at Davey.

            Braids snapped her head towards Bumlets.  Shot's beaming grin widened.  The lock of hair Snipe had been playing with jumped from his hand.  The tail end of it caught him in the side of the head.

            "OUCH!" Snipe exclaimed.

            Braids' head snapped the other way. Bumlets was quick enough to put out so that the lovely locks didn't deliver the same fate to him as they did to Snipeshooter.  

            "Oohhhhhhhh," the weak wimper escaped Braids' lips as she fainted back onto the Fan God's lap.

            "So boys," Shot said, fanning her friend.  "Welcome to Jersey."

**_End Two_**


End file.
